The memory card connector has become indispensable equipment for a portable, or even a desktop computer due to the large amount of various I/O packages that the memory connector is able to work with, such as those as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,890,920, 5,499,925, 5,492,481, 5,368,493, 5,795,190, 5,791,920, 5,871,365, and 6,036,513.
The memory card connector is advantageous in its detachable feature with a memory card, and provides various I/O packages or hardware connections to the portable or desktop computers. However, it has not been able to work with I/O packages that are equipped with contacts on one of two major surfaces of the packages, such as a smart card or a memory stick.
Recent developments in the computer industry signal a large movement towards worldwide web applications and the use of electronic money. They have made smart card applications essential in computer applications that involve electronic money transactions. The information stored in the IC chips of smart cards can further serve as identification means for identifying the persons using the smart card and for identifying the persons over the worldwide web.
Though smart cards have been widely use in the commercial transactions that involve “real money,” difficulties still exist in using smart cards in computer applications due the lack of compatible hardware.
Further, though various ejecting mechanisms have been developed in the past, for use with the memory cards, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,967,813, 5,536,180, 5,368,498, 6,030,238, and 5,778,521, they are not appropriate for working with I/O packages that are relatively thin.